Cryptomeria Japonica + dreaded vine weevils

In this video I work on some cryptomeria japonica trees and discover some vine weevils

[@tacobonsai]

Nice trees! That acacia styled tree really speaks to me as well. A cool project.

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate. That was a bit of a lucky find, and I didn;t really have to do much to get the shape. I just hope it has a good year.

[@beth7467]

Yuck! Those poor trees. I'm glad you caught those weevils before the trees completely died. Good luck!

[@TonysBonsai]

I agree Beth, I have my fingers crossed for these. Hopefully they will manage to pull through.

[@mattbrennan647]

Nice to get those nasties out of the soil. They’re definitely root munchers. Hopefully now all the trees recover and thrive. Thanks, keep growing

[@TonysBonsai]

yeah, I'm not sure on the recovery powers of these trees. they can be temperamental at the best of times, but it will be interesting to see.

[@guysolis5843]

Gnarly! What a surprise. Our garden attracts all sorts of insects I've never seen before. The larvae of the Japanese beetle starts as a grub in the garden that must be killed. The adult eats all the foliage in between the veins and it leaves a lace looking leaf. Pretty devastating, glad you decided to go after them buggers! Now your trees will thrive!

[@TonysBonsai]

Hopefully at least one will pull through, but tome will tell on that. I've heard those Japanese beetles are brutal!

[@guysolis5843]

@@TonysBonsai I'm sure you'll surprise us all with your trees but our Japanese beetles have a life cycle that starts in the ground. Once we see the adults you don't want to spray poison because they're on the veggies so we pluck them off..cheers!

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Ohh i got this bugs in a few pots last year. But I didn't remove all the dirt. The tree look fine. So didn't given much of a thought. Just remove the bugs that I see and threw the spruce back in a pot afther I found the nebari 😅 thanks again for a great video Tony! You always keep the videos interesting! I was Sheering on for a bear rooting 😂😂😂

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣I knew you'd be saying 'He's going to do it!'. Hopefully this is the last of the vine weevils, but I think I'm going to treat for them with some chemicals.

[@sagebonsai]

I like what you've done Tony. I planted a row of Crytomeria seed this last fall, I hope they sprout. A few will stay permanently in the ground and styled as daisugi. The rest will make wonderful work for my small bonsai community.

[@TonysBonsai]

Nice idea. I love to plant seeds. You'll have to let me know how they do and if they germinate and grow.

[@Greeny22]

Off up B&Q tomorrow for a few trees. Just the video I needed

[@TonysBonsai]

Excellent. I hope you find some beauties!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Good to work the bugs out on these trees!

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Nigel. I just hope that this was a one off incident!

[@snoekhoek]

You want those critters on a hook under a float. 🎣 Nice trees!

[@TonysBonsai]

I was thinging that. I bet they make great bait for fishing!

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Tony’s motto ‘I think I’d like it to be a bit more extreme’ 🤣 Good job always using protection Tony!

[@TonysBonsai]

Gotta make sure the trunk is well-wrapped Candice! 🤣🤣

[@judlpd]

Reminds me to treat all my potted plants with vine weevil nematodes as soon as it warms up a bit. Usually treat in early autumn but forgot last year.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks for that info richard. They sound perfect. I think I'll get some ordered just to be safe.

[@Tinoshke07]

That looks good what you did with the second Cryptomeria but I would remove a bit more small branches (like the ones hanging vertically for example) cause if I'm not mistaken Cryptomeria is extremely sensitive for die back of the lower branches (because of lack of light and not removing old needles) but to be sure look it up online (I think I heard Peter Chan saying it also in one of his videos) or ask more experienced people from your bonsai society cause I might mix it up with another species. Oh it was good that you had a look at those smaller Cryptomerias and found those damn vine weevils in time. Even without the weevils I thought the soil looked very unhealthy so it was good to get them out of it. Hopefully now they're onto a better future. I'm thinking of joining the closest bonsai society as well, I think they come together once a month or even less, like once every 2 months (I prefer the first). It's not so easy to find a bonsai society here in Belgium so I'm glad I found one not too far away from where I live.

[@TonysBonsai]

It's funny that you mention me asking the members of the bonsai society. I did, and they were all basically in agreement that cryptomeria is a very challenging tree for bonsai due to the way it grows. I like a challenge, and if they don't work out, that's fine by me, although I would really like the clump style with the four trunks to do well. That's becomeing one of my favourites. I'm glad you found a local bonsai club over there. Even if they don;t meet regularly, it's still a great way to meet like minded people and chat bonsai!

[@Jacob-yb6bv]

They’re vine weevil larvae. They were laid last year by the adult beetles and the eggs hatched in the pots. They stay in one place. The adult will have decided that those roots of that particular plant is edible. I often find the odd one or a few in a pot. Unfortunately they will have eaten those roots and caused others to rot away. Often when a plant begins to die back or lose top growth these are the culprit and by then it’s too late. Learn to recognise the beetle, they are a slow moving greyish black nocturnal beetle which hides around pot edges and under plants and pots during the day. If you see them just kill them. Sometimes you’ll see notches on leaves - look for them around that plant and get them before they lay eggs. It’s an ongoing battle and because they aren’t visible they are one of the most damaging pests. These, slugs, snails and alder beetle get very short shrift in my garden, kill on site.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Jacob. Great information. From what you say, these trees must have been infested in the nursery, so by getting rid of the soil, I'm hoping that I will continue to be weevil free.

[@phillipwaterman5721]

The brown on the tree6isnormalthat Red brown is winter coloured Thanks Tony keep it up mate

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Phil. The red colour looks lovely, but it's nice seeing them turn green again.

[@KurisuBonsai]

Nothing better than joining a bonsai society, it's the highlight of my month to just be surrounded with other men and women who are bonsai nuts too! Yeah vine weevils are a menace but they do seem to prefer a more composty soil so as things get into bonsai pots and granular soil hopefully the problem will reduce. I also get Rose Chafer grubs and it's looks like a vine weevil but after a massive dose of roids!! They are huge 😬 Cryptomeria and junipers will also go brown in the winter, it's the Frost Blush as Mr Chan calls it, they'll be fine :)

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, I agree Chris. It's great spending an evening with other like minded bonsai nuts! I'm hoping the weevils are just a one off and all my other trees are fine!

[@martifish]

They will come back Tony, you could plant them on sphagnum will help the roots recover.

[@TonysBonsai]

I hope you're right Martin. They seem like lovely little trees and it would be nice to style them in the future.

[@martifish]

@@TonysBonsai I do love them, sadly for me most of mine are years away.

[@TonysBonsai]

A couple of years and I'm sure they'll be looking great mate

[@SUPERhodri1]

Recently went through the same Tony! I must admit that I get a guilty pleasure from digging through a root ball hunting for these little grubs. Like an entomological treasure hunt 😅 I've always wondered whether they're capable of surviving in a purely (or heavily) inorganic bonsai soil, or whether they need the rich and soft organic black compost. I know that they feed directly on the roots, so in theory they could because its not the soil they rely on. But I feel like the actual structure of the inorganic soil would impact on their ability to navigate through with ease because it's so hard and coarse. Thoughts?

[@TonysBonsai]

I was wondering the exact same thing last night Rhodri. I'm sure that they would not be able to move through a substrate of pure pumice/lava rock, but my soil with perlite and coco coir and grit is probably somewhere in between, but my guess is that they like a rich soggy peat

[@SUPERhodri1]

Do you treat with systemic pesticides at all? Thinking of doing it as a preventative for all my trees for the first time in the next couple of days.

[@Jacob-yb6bv]

You’ll certainly see fewer in decent soil but they do still appear.

[@SUPERhodri1]

@@Jacob-yb6bv good to know. Thanks mate

[@TonysBonsai]

@@Jacob-yb6bv Thanks Jacob!

[@bonsa1guy]

Trees grown in inorganic soil such as pumice, moler, zeolite, Akadama mixes etc don't have a vine weevil problem. Moler (or diatomaceous earth) especially is used as an insecticide and actively kills the adult beetle by tiny particles getting under their exoskeleton and causing them to be stabbed as they move and finally dehydrate. Compost based soils are more attractive to the adult, easier to lay under the surface and to the larva as the soil is soft and moist.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Paul. That's very interesting especially the part about the particles getting underneath their exoskeleton. That's go to hurt!

[@greenmachinesweden]

I was supriced to see green C. Japonica this time of the year. I would expect them to be brown just as I would expect a decidious tree to be leafless. If it is brown in winter it is healthy. Don't know about green in winter. Maybe not good?

[@TonysBonsai]

I'm not sure, but don't think it's necessarily bad. Apparently, some junipers turn brown as well, but mine all stay green.

[@greenmachinesweden]

@@TonysBonsai my experience with junipers is when they turn brown they are dead. Cryptomeria turns brown every winter without problem.

[@bigbrobunny]

@@greenmachinesweden It's called 'frost blush' and is normal. It will go back to green

[@greenmachinesweden]

@@bigbrobunny On cryptomeria, yes. On junipers I have never seen browning foliage recover. Have you? Still learning.😀

[@maryweber4176]

Just curious, what made you join a bonsai club now??

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Mary. I first visited over twelve months ago, but due to my health issues I was limiting the contact I had with people during the first half of last year, but those problems are now largely resolved and I decided to head back over. I enjoy chatting face-to-face with other fellow bonsai nuts. I still don't really see the appeal of bonsai competitions, but it's a very small group and there is great camaraderie. It's more about sharing their trees so that we can discuss them etc. Great fun!

[@mick681]

Vine weevils decimate the roots. If all of a sudden during the warmer months a tree just dies without warning you can bet your life Vine weevils are at work. It maybe they have already been chomping at the roots on these three trees but you may, just may, have caught them in time. Nursery plants very often have them so it's always wise to remove the soil and repot. I hope that's the end of your problem Tony.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, I think they have a chance, but time will tell. As you say, they completely destroyed these root systems, and that would be a nightmare if it happened to my better trees.

[@digitaIgorilla]

Just the name weevils fills me with dread.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah, a real nightmare if they got into the soil of a proper tree

[@kevinwilkes5969]

Vinewevel Tony, the worst pest you can get in a pot. I've had fuchsias that have been left with no roots what so ever after these little blighters have munched on them. It's a reason to check all plants that come homecwith you. They get in through the hole at the bottom, I now putscreen over all my plants bonsai or others to prevent this.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, I was a bit shocked at these. I presume that these juvenile little bugs don't move from pot to pot though and it's only the adult mature ones that spread their eggs?

[@kevinwilkes5969]

@@TonysBonsai yes that's right, worry is they've visited other pots. I would think those grubs have not been there since you brought them else by this time they would have matured and turned into adults. They love roots.

[@kevinwilkes5969]

You can buy a drench for them you water onto your pots and it kills them. Keep your eye out for the pots around them. Put screen over the drainage hole.

[@Jacob-yb6bv]

They are actually laid in the pot via the top I think. They aren’t very mobile.

[@Jacob-yb6bv]

@@TonysBonsai yes.

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Good luck dude 👍👍

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Nice video and great to meet our frieendly wine weevil (hic)

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣MMmmm Omelet a la weevil!

[@its_notta_cedar]

Cryptomeria is my second favorite after junipers.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, they are a very beautiful tree

[@joegarland4885]

Tony leave the four branches on the smaller tree, nice little trees for no money bargain mate.vine weevils kill the plant stone dead.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah I really like those four trunks Joe. They're definitely staying!

[@janeplatt8254]

It is vine Veevils clear all soil and discard soil away from garden ❤

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah I did. The soil all went in the bin and the weevils are history!

[@MilutaBonsai]

When are you gonna have a giveaway? Wouldn't mind having one of your trees🌱😁

[@TonysBonsai]

Fancy a dead cryptomeria? 🤣🤣

[@MilutaBonsai]

@Tonys Bonsai 🫠 🤣ill try my best to save it. If not, I'll make it a center piece 😁

[@TonysBonsai]

@@MilutaBonsai 🤣🤣

[@andytownsend9163]

Inundated with the weevil here, lost so many trees and plants. Nematodes the answer but they always come back and don't mention leather jackets...

[@TonysBonsai]

I'm hoping this was a one off and I don;t see any more, but I'm definitely going to have an inspection of some fo my other tnursery trees that I haven;t looked at yet.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Break out the flamethrower 😆

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣I asked them, and they opted for death by squishing.

[@nillysbonsai9636]

The dreaded weevil! Stamp it out early. Nowadays you have to check or treat every garden centre or nursery plants before introducing to you garden! Remember the Robins had a hard winter he’ll be your friend show him them!

[@Jacob-yb6bv]

This is true, we often bring them in from garden centre plants to our gardens. Both the reduced trees I bought last weekend had weevil. It’s best to bare root new plants even if it slows them down a bit I find.

[@TonysBonsai]

Interesting. I think I'll go through and check in on all my purchases that I haven't bare rooted and take a look.

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌👌

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Bruce

[@chamaramendis7505]

Why nobody continue tonys chanel😢

[@smokereapergaming3861]

The red colour you c is from frostbite mate it's normal...

[@TonysBonsai]

My four trunked one was more or less orange all year and it was bright red well before the first frost. I think perhaps it's just the way that tree is. Hopefully it will go green this summer

[@Alepoudiitsa]

i was thinking off start doing the same thing to my trees but i saw the new snow on the moutens around me today so i say nvm 😅 i don't have a safe place for them.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah, at this time of year there is always the chance of hard frost, but I just put all mine outside and they seem to do fine.

[@almac2598]

I've had my bonsai savaged by Vine Weevil a couple of times in the las few years. Its cost me plants, time and anger. Treat your trees with nematodes quickly.

[@TonysBonsai]

Ouch, that sounds like a nightmare. I'm going to order some now. How many pots does the 12sq m pack treat?

[@almac2598]

@@TonysBonsai Without being nasty, it depends on the size of your pots. Just grab a tape measure and do a rough sum to get the area. To be honest I water the bonsai, let them drain for a couple of hours, then water with the nemitodes, enough to really wet the surface. Once all of them have been treated , I repeat until the mix is used up. Hope this helps. I also take great delight in putting any grubs onto the bird table, they love them.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

On my trees ive been using bonide systemic granuals right before the spring. Im almost positive it gets rid of these weevils and alot of other pests.

[@TonysBonsai]

That sounds interesting Chris. I'm off top do some research now thanks.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@@TonysBonsai cool. I came across it from the we are the bonsai supply channel on yt. I was looking for a granual instead of liquid

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@@TonysBonsai cool. I came across it from the we are the bonsai supply channel on yt. I was looking for a granual instead of liquid

[@teversalmanor]

winter colour Tony

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah, I was expecting a bit of a rusty colour, but to go bright red was a shock.

[@teversalmanor]

@@TonysBonsai you expect to see it now every winter

[@mattbrennan647]

Foist